It was only last November that Netflix launched its cheapest subscription solution to date, one that comes with a relatively important BUT these days: it includes ads. Indeed, one of the main features of streaming platforms is that they are supposed to allow you to watch content without having to swallow ads of any kind. Today, this model seems to have collided with the interests of third parties.
NHK is unhappy with Netflix ads.
Here are all the details that the team of ANN has gathered on Netflix’s new conflict, and it’s sure to be more of a headache than expected:
- Basically, NHK (a TV network in Japan but also acts as a producer) has gone so far as to ask Netflix to stop streaming up to 22 of its anime licenses in Japan because of the new ad-supported subscription model. ❗
- Netflix, in order to stop the chaos for the time being, kept all 22 anime licenses but removed all ads related to them. ❗
- Apparently, NHK claims that the outcome of this model is not what it expected and that Netflix did not adequately explain how it would work before it was already in place. The streaming platform, for its part, comments that NHK agreed at the time. ❗
- The main problem is that NHK’s online content policies prevent third parties using their products from making it look like they are recommending “X” to users. In other words, if a Netflix ad is shown during an NHK-licensed anime, it breaks the foundation of that company. ❌
- As of now, they have not reached a final agreement and the two companies are still discussing it. ❓
